Recognized as one of the country’s top pastry chefs, Chef Zac Young is known for his playful takes on American desserts, including the all-in-one Thanksgiving sensation, The PieCaken. Zac’s groundbreaking, direct to consumer bakery, PieCaken Bakeshop, helped revolutionize nationwide shipping of specialty desserts in partnership with the online marketplace Goldbelly. 

After graduating with honors from The Institute of Culinary Education, Zac cut his teeth at Bouchon Bakery, and traveled to France to learn from some of the world’s chocolate masters. Zac’s talents were then nurtured by Chef Alex Guarnaschelli in his 4 year tenure as Pastry Chef at Butter Restaurant. Zac started a donut revolution at Flex Mussels Restaurants, compelling The New York Times restaurant critic, Frank Bruni, to write, “how lucky of us to find room for dessert” and landing his donuts in The New York Times’ list of Top Ten Donuts in New York City. Zac then served as Corporate Pastry Chef for equally whimsical Chef David Burke, running the pastry departments of his many restaurants, hotels and bars working his way to partnership in the parent company, Craveable Hospitality Group. His most recent venture, Zac Young’s Sprinkletown, is a multifaceted sweets company focused on retail products with partners like Costco, wholesale food service distribution, and proprietary retail concepts.  

Zac is best known for his wit and pastry wisdom on Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship as well Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, Worst Cooks in America, Supermarket Stakeout, The Cooking Channel’s long-running show, Unique Sweets, Netflix’s Nailed It and his Final Four finish on the inaugural season of Bravo’s Top Chef: Just Desserts. When Zac grows up, he wants to be a competitive dim sum eater.